AN ATTACK OF COMPASSION

We were grabbing lunch in a MacDonald's in Dublin, West Virginia.

He was mopping the floor.

His hair was white.  He seemed mildly handicapped physically;  he sort of shuffled when he walked.  He appeared to be in his mid-seventies.

There was a group of men sitting in one section talking and laughing;  all were his age.  He seemed uncomfortable around them.

As a matter of fact, he seemed uncomfortable generally.  At one point, he simply stood in an out-of-the-way section with his head down.

My compassion meter went off-the-chart along with my imagination.

Did he need to work?  Or did his wife die and he just wanted a reason to be out-of-the-house? 

Did a company down-size him and leave him without a pension?

Does he have a family?  Do his kids care about him?

Does he live alone?  Does he have any friends?  Does he ever laugh?

I wanted to invite him to sit down with me for awhile.  I wanted to empty my pocket into his.  I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him that he mattered.

I did something better than all these:  I sat and prayed for him throughout my lunch.  I lifted him to the God who made him.  I asked God to comfort him.  I asked our Heavenly Father to open the windows of Heaven and pour down a blessing greater than this man could hold.

And today, I find myself wondering how God is answering my prayer?  What good things are happening for this man as a result of my intercession?  How has our marvelous God chosen to comfort him?

PRAYER CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!